January spending and saving, or did Just-Stay-in January help finances?
Income was the usual State Pension and County Council Spouses Pension and income from the downshifting savings.
Regular outgoings are the direct debits for Council Tax, charity, phones and broadband and the monthly electric bill. They came to £337 this month.
Other Spending: -
The Xmas present finds bought last month but counted in this years Christmas accounts £20.75.
Kitchen stuff was Smol tabs and Rinse Aid for the dishwasher plus de-scaler for coffee machine.
Bathroom things - soap, 14 month supply of loo rolls from "Who Gives a Crap" .
Laundry tabs also from Smol.
Postage stamps.
At Superdrug - some plaster tape, new tub of cod-liver oil capsules and cotton buds.
From Hardware shop - a new battery for the doorbell (but it still didn't work so that was money wasted!) Not going far so only one lot of fuel top-up needed for the car = £23
Gifts - I sent a some flowers to ED as a surprise thank you for hosting us all in the holiday cottage at Christmas. Plus MGS Birthday present.
Food spending was average, despite eating lots from the freezer, just showing how food prices are still going up. Some of the spending at the end of the month was for batch cooking for the freezer. Just one coffee out with a Greggs bacon roll. - Now £3.15.
My personal spending was a hair cut, exercise group and some photos printed.
Looking after the pennies..................
- Ate from the freezer for main part of main meal after Christmas and most of January.
- Cancelled Radio Times after the 10 weeks for £10 offer. It worked well for December, Christmas and New Year.
- Bread from the bread-maker 50/50 wholemeal/white all month.
- Dishwasher only used every other day
- Washing machine on just twice a week
- Nothing much needing ironing in winter
- Lots of lovely library books for free
- Sent a box of books off to 'We sell Books' = £22
- Moved savings money into ISA
- Shut curtains as soon as it's dark to keep in heat.
- Get up late enough to not need lights in the mornings!
- In the right place to get half dozen eggs for £1 from the roadside stall once during the month
- Nothing spent on clothes, makeup etc etc
Out of the house this month has gone.... the old hoover to the tip plus the big cardboard box that the new hoover came in, a bag of odd bits and bobs not used for ages plus some books to charity shop as well as the books to We Sell Books.
Going forward to February............ I'll probably need some heating oil plus there is the half year water/sewer bill but there's no Council tax. I'm aiming for another low spend month again staying mostly at home.
I think January went very well financially!!
ReplyDeleteA lot less out than in which is always a bonus!
DeleteWell done! My January was horrendous, I'd budgeted for car service, MOT, insurance and tax. But not for a new vacuum cleaner, new patio door, and glasses repair. YOU get extra Brownie Points for cancelling Radio Times though - I am convinced that lots of people sign up for those offers them forget to cancel on time and end up paying mire than they'd intended!
ReplyDeletehaving worked in sales, I can confirm that the reason people are pushed to pay by Direct Debit is because most people don't check their bank statements and memberships/subscriptions just keep on rolling out of their account.
DeleteIt was quite a search to find a phone number to cancel the RT - they still keep sending offers but I'll wait until next Christmas
Deleterather than take more stuff to landfill, I have found a local repair, recycle and reuse community led shed project that takes old appliances and strips them for parts to facilitate repairs to other broken appliances when parts are not available. They do all sorts of things, from repairing electricals, making fire pits out of washing machine drums, clothing care and repair, mosaics out of broken china . . . anything to reduce landfill.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we have any repair places for electricals nearby - never heard of one anyway
DeleteWhat new hoover did you get? I have a very elderly Dyson Animal but it isn't picking up hair well now, despite a new roller head for it. But I am NOT tempted to pay £650 for a new Dyson one!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about grocery prices still increasing as it is a struggle to keep spendings down. I have had the girls here this week, so extra spent on food (and wine) for that.
I managed to get a goodly pile of books off to charity, along with some of Tam's clothing (she chose it, not me!!), and I do hope I will be bringing home less after the Antiques Fair!
My new hoover is a Vax upright - not a rechargable as I couldn't work out where I could stand one to charge it without it being in the way. New hoover has very long lead and was £119 - I haven't worked out all it's taking apart yet but it has huge suction, lifts up the door mats!
DeleteWell done on your January low spend! Just one coffee out was an achievement, I've also kept this down because the weather has been so filthy. Funnily enough we also had to replace the vacuum cleaner but it had given good service for a very long time and didn't owe us anything. The Radio Times offer worked out well too.
ReplyDeleteHope February will go well. The Council tax holidays for a couple of months are welcome although I know we're still paying the same amount overall!
Penny
It feels like two months off council tax each year but then the letter comes saying how much it's going up by in April!
DeleteSaving electricity by staying in bed. That made me laugh. I have managed that on the cold, wet days of January. We go to bed earlier in winter too. I top up the teapot and fill the vacuum flask.
ReplyDeleteIf I don't have to go out I can stay half asleep until nearly 8am - by then it's light enough to see what I'm doing - very handy
DeleteI’ve got a couple of solar lamps that I alternate for reading in bed. When I go to bed tonight I’ll take the one from the bedside, and put it on the kitchen windowsill (the one that gets most sun!), and replace it with the charged one.
DeleteWe also did a roundup of spending for the month and also planning to use the two months of council tax saving towards some new flooring. Catriona
ReplyDeleteHeating oil will be the big chunk spent here in February - but has to be done.
DeleteThat’s a great round up of your January spends and saves. Thank goodness it’s the end of the month, poor old January, does anyone like the first month of the year?
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
We got through! Although Feb can be equally cold but at least it's a bit lighter and the sun a few degrees higher when it's out.
DeletePrices are going up and products are still shrinking.
ReplyDeleteI seem to have been saying the same thing about food prices going up for about several years!
DeleteYou did really well with the 'looking after the pennies' and with the Radio Times offer, hopefully you will be able to do that again next year. They do the offer to get the subscription figures up for the annual business figures, so fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteIt's been an expensive moth for us with the start of the renovation work, thank goodness none of this comes out of my tiny pension payment. But our savings are now heading in a downhill direction. Roll on February,, where we are having a slight lull in work while planning permissions are checked.
I'm glad all the renovations we did were when we were in our 30's and Col did most of the work!! Can't imagine the hassle now I'm old!
DeleteWell done for January.
ReplyDeleteI'll need to buy oil soon too. I filled both oil tanks before Christmas and with all the very cold weather and the burner running 24X7 the oil goes fast.
The boiler is off overnight unless it's extra cold . I like being warm so will pay up.
DeleteWell done! That sounds like a really good month. I am doing better with the food bill. There are just some things I refuse to buy at the prices they are and we are adjusting. I wish my energy bills would go down, but it's been really, really cold here and I can't sit in the cold house. I have been using my blanket and heavier clothes and trying to move around. It's gone down a few dollars this month but is still far too high!
ReplyDeleteNo way I'm being cold now I'm old - it's too depressing
DeleteUgh. Our January spending was completely blown out of the water by vehicle parts.
ReplyDeleteAll your new/old and old/new vehicles and snow = no fun at all!
DeleteThere's no February council tax? Is that for everyone nationwide or just your council? I haven't heard about it but I would certainly welcome the break!
ReplyDeleteI need to take some stuff (books and other things) to charity shops too.
It's one of the ways to pay - over 10 months rather than over 12 months - feels like two free months but of course it isn't really!
DeleteI always admire your monthly roundup. I can never remember all the things I've done during the month like clearing stuff out to the CS for example. I need to start writing everything down, I think 🤔 Maybe then I'll feel I have had a productive month rather than done nothing useful!
ReplyDeleteA great post, Sue, thank you 😊
You're welcome!
DeleteI’m so glad to have rediscovered your blog Sue! Glad you are still living a frugal but good life.
ReplyDeleteAll is well here - enjoying keeping fairly busy, seeing friends and family, and reading about a book a week.
I am now 84, and have four great grandchildren - the latest (the first girl) will have her first birthday in a couple of weeks.
Another granddaughter got married a few months ago - it was a lovely wedding, but a bit unusual - she and her husband live and work in Paris, which made it too difficult to marry in England. So, just close family went to a civil ceremony in Paris in July, then they and everyone else went to a renewal of vows and blessing of their rings in the Yorkshire Dales in November - both ceremonies were lovely!
Anyway, enough from me - so glad to have found you!
And it’s Mary by the way! (in case it isn’t clear!)
DeleteGood to hear from you. Are you still in Bath? Alison and Andy are the only people I still see now and again. I think Gill in Ireland is still at the same place but haven't heard from her for a while.
Delete